The No. 13 women’s soccer team sent out its lone senior Jenna Carducci with a 3-2 win over William Penn Saturday evening at Liston Stadium.

“It was such a bittersweet night because it’s obviously incredible to get a night to really just celebrate yourself, but it’s sad when I don’t get to share it with anyone and I know that I’ll be the only one leaving after this year,” Carducci said.

The Wildcats shared the scoring with three different juniors putting in goals. Jessica Hillebert scored in the 38th minute, Taylor Baum in the 63rd, and Katie Hibbeler in the 65th.

Playoffs

The women will host the Graceland Yellow Jackets in the quarterfinals of the Heart tournament at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at Liston Stadium.

William Penn made a final run late in the game, scoring in the 84th and 85th minute, but Baker stopped the Statesmen’s last-minute attempt to escape with the 3-2 win.

Baker attempted 18 shots on the night, with junior Krista Hooper leading the attack with five shots.

“This season has definitely brought the fun back into soccer for me,” Carducci said. “Sometimes with a college sport, it can feel like a job, but the atmosphere every day this year at practice and games has made me remember why I love this sport so much.”

This game marked the end of the regular season for the Wildcats. They finished with a 14-3-0 record and a second-place spot in the Heart of America Athletic Conference standings at 8-2-0. They will enter the Heart postseason tournament as the No. 2 seed.

“The bottom line of our goal is a conference championship – plain and simple,” said Carducci. “Later on, a national championship, but right now we’re focused on the next few games.”

Baker will face No. 7 seed Graceland this Saturday, Nov. 7, at Liston Stadium. The winner of this match will move on to the semifinals to face the winner of the MNU vs. Missouri Valley game.